Thinking About Your Legacy: An Open Letter from Dr. Ken Hechler

Dear OVEC members and supporters,

I am writing you about a delicate subject: Your legacy gift to OVEC; that is, remembering OVEC in your will. I have been associated for more than two decades with OVEC, an extraordinary grassroots environmental group. The organization has a history of winning and a culture of standing side-by-side with citizens.

As a former public servant, and now as a private citizen, I say, from the bottom of my heart, OVEC is one of the most effective grassroots groups in West Virginia and maybe even in the nation. I shudder to think of how many more mountains would be destroyed without OVEC in the forefront of the resistance movement.

As OVEC organizes to oppose the outrageous practice of mountaintop removal mining, it successfully amplifies the voices of coalfield residents, providing citizens with the tools they need to ensure that their concerns are heard above the din of polluters and industry lobbyists. As a former U.S. Congressman, I know about the power of organized citizens to create the political will for change like those who organized for the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. OVEC has a sterling reputation for getting hundreds of people involved in their work.

OVEC volunteers and staff people like 2009 Goldman Environmental Prize winner Maria Gunnoe work tirelessly, connecting documentary filmmakers, local, state, national and even international journalists with local citizens impacted by mountaintop removal and other mining abuses. Coalfield residents voices, the voices of real experts on mountaintop removal, have been heard across the globe from the New York Times to Der Spiegel, from National Geographic and "O" magazine to People. Their stories truly inspire others to speak out!

OVEC is tough, tenacious and relentless in its dedication to preserve and protect West Virginias environment and people. But we shouldnt take OVECs long-term financial well-being for granted. Foundations that support groups like OVEC come and go or change their areas of focus. If the stock market declines, like it has in the recent past, foundations may rein in their giving, which can endanger a non-profits longevity. OVEC has clearly demonstrated that they are "in it for the long haul," its up to us to help ensure that OVEC is sustained.

We are conscious that all good things come to an end, including our earthly journey, but that doesnt mean that we cannot create a legacy a lasting gift to benefit future generations and our environment. As you write your wills and ponder your legacy gifts, please consider a bequest to one of the best grassroots environmental groups around the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition.

For more information about including OVEC in your will, please call Maryanne at (304) 522-0246.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Ken Hechler

Creating A Lasting Legacy

Have you thought about your legacy? Are you looking for a long-term way to make a meaningful difference in the movement to build a cleaner energy future? Please consider making a planned gift to OVEC today. Planned giving options include:

• Gifts of stocks and bonds.
• Including OVEC as a beneficiary in your life insurance policy.
• Including OVEC as a beneficiary in your will.

Tax benefits apply to each of these options. Please contact your attorney or a financial advisor for more information, or go to lalwv.org.